"Drawing on that rich but often neglected source, the Lives of the Saints, this book provides us with a representative selection of models, of icons in words, to encourage us on our own journey to the kingdom, whether we are married or not. . . . What is striking first of all about the examples chosen is their diversity. They are spread in time across nearly four thousand years, from the Old Testament era up to our own day. In space they extend no less widely: from Persia in the east to Alaska in the west, from Egypt in the south to England in the north. . . . In each case the story has been told in a simple but vivid style, with frequent quotations from the original sources and from the liturgical texts. . . . And, whether we are married, monastics or single, as we look at the living icons of the Holy Trinity on the pages that follow, may we all of us be brought to a deeper appreciation of this 'great mystery' (Ephesians 5:32)." -- from the Foreword by Bishop KALLISTOS (Timothy) Ware, author of The Orthodox Church and The Orthodox Way.
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
From the Author
(From the Preface:) . . . Perhaps it is important to emphasize from the beginning that by selecting only married Saints' Lives for this book, we do not intend to divide, oppose, prefer, or in any significant sense separate them from the monastic Saints. In fact, quite a few married Saints later became monastics (for example, after the deaths of their spouses). In any case, as Saint Gregory himself points out in the same passage, both are necessary for the Church.
It has always been important for all Christians to be encouraged to be holy. As we read in Saint Peter's first epistle, "but as He who called you is holy, so also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, 'Be holy, for I am holy'" (I Peter 1:15-16; Lev. 11:44-45). There also has always been a special need to encourage people to become monastics, since it is an unusual path. Probably now, in our indulgent, "post-Christian" society, monasticism is needed more than ever.
. . . Today it is also necessary to emphasize the fundamental goodness of marriage itself, since marriage and family life are often disparaged in our society. As part of emphasizing the need for all to seek holiness, it is helpful for people to know that many married people have achieved holiness, even though they remain unknown to the Church as a whole, and also that there are those among the married who have been held up by the Church through formal canonization as examples for all.
Some may wonder how the Lives of the Saints can really be relevant for us today. Even in Saint Gregory of Nyssa's time and place (Asia Minor; 4th century), people were asking, "How can the Saints of old be examples for us now, since their lives and cultures were so different from ours?" As he wrote, "What then? Someone will say, 'How can I imitate them, since I am not a Chaldean as I remember Abraham was, nor was I nourished by the daughter of the Egyptian as Scripture teaches about Moses, and in general I do not have in these matters anything in my life corresponding to any one of the ancients? . . . I do not know how to imitate anyone so far removed from me by the circumstances of his life."
Saint Gregory explains that, of course, the circumstances of a Saint's life -- including, we could add, whether they are monastics or married -- do not to have resemble ours . . . in order to be edifying and to lead us closer to God. Some who are married may well feel closer to, and more inspired by, a monastic Saint than by any of the married Saints. As Saint Gregory goes on to say, "Perhaps, then, the memory of anyone distinguished in life would be enough to fill our need for a beacon light and to show us how we can bring our soul to the sheltered harbor of virtue." And he suggests that "it may be for this very reason that the daily life of those sublime individuals is recorded in detail, that by imitating the earlier examples of right action those who follow them may conduct their lives to the good."
A main purpose for reading any of the Saints' Lives, then, is to be directed to the life of virtue -- to be provided with "a beacon light." Saint Basil the Great (Asia Minor; 4th century) emphasizes this point with another helpful image: "Thus, generally, as painters, when they are painting from other pictures, constantly look at the model, and do their best to transfer its lineaments to their own work, so too, he who is desirous of rendering himself perfect in all branches of excellency, must keep his eyes turned to the lives of the Saints as though to living and moving statues, and make their virtue his own by imitation."
While stressing that anyone holy can edify and guide us, Saint Gregory of Nyssa also says that looking to someone who is like us in some important way can be very helpful: "Human nature is divided into male and female, and the free choice of virtue or of evil is set before both equally. For this reason the corresponding example of virtue for each sex has been exemplified by the divine voice [i.e., Holy Scripture], so that each, by observing the one to which he is akin (the men to Abraham and the women to Sarah), may be directed in the life of virtue by the appropriate examples."
Thus, although all the Saints' Lives are edifying for all the faithful, at the same time it is also true that it is encouraging in a special way, for those of us "in the world," to realize that people who also lived "in the world," who owned property, had children, worked and shopped "in the marketplace" -- and who had all the cares, heartaches, and joys which these things occasion -- were able to be so devoted to God as to become holy. And it is very encouraging to remember that some of them have been held up as examples by the Church through formal canonization, for everyone to benefit from their lives and prayers.
The main reason for collecting Lives of married Saints, then, is not because only they can be inspiring to those who are married, but to encourage those who are married to realize that holiness is possible for them in the world, and thus to encourage all married people, along with their children, to strive for this. Our hope is that this book will provide such encouragement. We also hope that it will provide a more complete understanding for those who do not realize that there are canonized Saints who were married, as well as for those who believe that holiness is something only monastics need to strive for -- since, they imagine, only the monks can attain it.
It is also important to remember that there are many holy people who have not been formally canonized -- and indeed, there are many who have remained unknown to the world. The Church's canonization of certain holy people as Saints has never implied that these are the only saints, the only people who attained holiness while on earth. Rather, the list of canonized Saints is but a sample of those who have become known to the Church, whom the Church has decided to hold up as examples for all. . . .
From the Back Cover
This book describes the lives of over 130 married saints. Also of interest is the Introduction, in which the authors present a summary of the consensus understanding of marriage in the Orthodox Tradition, using many quotations from various Saints which are brought together for the first time. The twelve drawings and icon reproductions, most of which are of Saints not commonly depicted, add to the appeal of the book.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An overview of how sainthood can be reached from within Christian marriage,
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This review is from: Marriage As a Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints (Hardcover)
This book sets before us "a few out of the many Christian couples whose crowns have indeed been `taken up' by Christ into His heavenly kingdom. Drawing on that rich but often neglected source, the Lives of the Saints, [this] book provides us with a representative selection of models, of icons in words, to encourage us on our own journey to the kingdom" (p. ix). Above all, this book teaches the Orthodox view that "the marriage bed is undefiled": marriage is an institution ordained by God as a path to holiness. The following are reviews of the lives of those married saints I found most striking and inspiring:
1. Saint John of Kronstadt Saint John of Kronstadt (1829-1908) was an archpriest of the Russian Orthodox Church who once preached, "I feel my weakness and my unworthiness for the fulfillment of the most sublime service on earth, but I know what can make me more worthy of the rank of a priest . . . . it is love for Christ and for all people. Love is a great force; it makes the weak strong and the small great. Such is the property of pure love, the love of the Gospels. May God, who is wholly love, give me a spark of this love and kindle it into a flame through His Holy Spirit" (p. 75). Having realized that this love would be an incredible labor, Fr. John "felt the need for an unusual marriage arrangement. Thus, he told his wife at the very beginning of their marriage that he wanted to live with her as brother and sister so that they could better devote themselves to serving God and other people. Although at first his wife was unhappy with this idea, she came not only to accept it, but to be an invaluable help and support to him in his extensive ministry" (p. 75). Fr. John lived a life that reflected the Gospels in every way. He organized the "Home for Constructive Labor" for the poor of the city. It included "a free elementary school (Saint John especially loved children, saying that the image of God was clearer in them), a workshop where carpentry was taught, a drawing class, a women's workshop for sewing, a workshop for shoemaking, a library for children, a zoological collection, a military gymnasium, and a bookshop for children and adults" (p. 76). He also "had a church, school, orphanage, sawmill, a cooperative store, and a convent built in the poor village where he was born" (p. 76). His labor for the Gospel was so intense that he typically began his day at 3:00 a.m., and often did not retire to sleep until midnight" (p. 76). Two years after Fr. John's sister-in-law gave birth to a daughter, the sister-in-law's husband died, leaving her with no financial means to raise the child. "Upon hearing of her plight, Saint John suggested to his wife ... that they take their young niece and raise her as their own daughter" (p. 78). Years later, this girl provided a glowing account of growing up in the home of Fr. John and his wife, and of their Christlike love and care for the community. 2. Saint John the Emperor John Ducas Vatatzes (c. 1192-1254) was known for his "modest disposition, the purity of his life, the cheerfulness of his countenance, his righteousness, and the way he talked with the people every day" (p. 45). When he became emperor of Nicea in 1222, the people continued to love and esteem him because he did not change his previously established way of life. One anecdote particularly points to Saint John's character and concern for the people: "One day, the Emperor noticed with disapproval the extravagance of his son's clothing, and said to him, `Don't you realize that clothing, spun from gold and silken thread, represents the sweat and blood of your countrymen? Your attention should be devoted to their welfare, and not to your own luxury. For the wealth of a king should be considered to belong to his subjects'" (p. 45). 3. Saints Justinian and Theodora Saint Justinian the Great (483-565) is "widely recognized as the greatest of all the Byzantine emperors" (p. 53). His uncle Justin was as a herder of swine, but after immigrating to Constantinople, he served as a palace guard who later rose to commander of the guard with the title of count. When Justin later became Emperor of Byzantium, he did not forget his favorite nephew, Justinian, who was made Justin's closest adviser. Justin, who was childless, officially adopted Justinian as his son, and made him Caesar and later co-emperor. When Justin died, Justinian and his wife Theodora succeeded him to the throne. Justinian is best known for his codification of the laws of the Empire, known today as the "Justinian Code." He "tried to establish Christian principles as the foundation for these laws" (p. 54). Justinian is also well known for defending and preserving Orthodox doctrine, for "promoting the well-being of his subjects by rooting out corruption and providing easily accessible justice" (p. 55), and for his magnanimity. As an example of his magnanimity, we can look to his response when General Probus was condemned for insulting him: Justinian "tore up the condemnation and sent the General a pardon: `I pardon you for your offence against me. Pray that God may also pardon you" (p. 55). 4. Saints Isaac and Rebecca This story gives the Genesis account of Rebecca, the divinely-chosen woman, who was brought by Providence to Isaac, the divinely-chosen man: "Isaac went through the wilderness to the well of the vision, and he dwelt in the land toward the south. And Isaac went forth into the plain toward evening to meditate; and lifting up his eyes, he saw camels coming. And Rebecca lifted up her eyes, and saw Isaac ... And Isaac went into the house of his mother, and took Rebecca, and she became his wife, and he loved her" (p. 228).
1 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
personal review,
This review is from: Marriage As a Path to Holiness: Lives of Married Saints (Hardcover)
I personally know the authors of this book.They have a wonderfully blessed marriage.They sure know what it means to have a good marriage.They live their book every day.They also know how to be a good Christian friend.(They should write a book on that.)a fellow parish member.JP
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